Originally Posted By: rlewis This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
To start I think you guys are the most intelligent people I have heard from any message board. Ok With that said I just passed the online exam for NACHI but I have a long way to go before I will feel comfortable doing inspections alone. I am a dog trainer of 30+ years for police and personal protection. I am now starting dogs on termites and mold detection. I would like the general feelings of you guys on the subject.
Originally Posted By: slanicek This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I agree, I think it’s a wonderful idea as well as a marketing gimick. I have a white lab that I take along with me here and there and people just love to come up and start talking.
As for relying on a canine for something like termites and mold in my humble opinion I think you might be opening up yourself for possible trouble. I in no way mean to discredit you, the dog in question or the training. But I mean what real documentation do you have that the dog did or did not find anything? Is the dogs nose, for lack of a better description, 'calibrated' to pick up x amount of mold particles, termite scent, etc.? Maybe there are some certified classes that the dog can actually go thru in this day and age, I don't know. But boy what would happen if something were to come back on you one day? Say that the......ummm..............dog ate your homework?
I'd be interested to hear what you come across if you investigate further.
Originally Posted By: rlewis This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I know in police dogs if you have to go to court you must show all your training records. That shows the creditability of the dog in question.I also certify dogs. If I can come up with a cert. for termites and mold I can certtify the dogs myself.
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi to all,
there was a company promoting this idea a year or so ago I have not heard of them in a while, and I believe that there is a similar company in California.
Originally Posted By: lschmid This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
There is a company here in SC that uses the dogs for mold. They were at the home show a couple of weeks ago. After talking to them, I think a visual inspection would be just as good if you are going to be non-evasive. When they find something, a lot of times it is behind a wall or someplace that has to be opened up. I don’t want to get into this as a HI.
Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I saw an episode of “Dogs with Jobs” on a cable channel that showed a dog sniffing for termites. The show said he was more accurate than any standard termite inspector. I don’t remember whether the dog was in the New England area or in the UK, but it was a good show. The dog was some kind of a terrier as I recall.
Now if I can just get a dog to go through attics and sniff out water leaks  
Originally Posted By: dfrend This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
There is a company in the DC area that has a blazer with the dogs(a beagle) picture and says he is the only Termite Sniffing k9 in the area. They market the hecht out of him. Not sure how god he does, but he sure is cute. The ad is one of those full vehicle cover ads.
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Kinda curious if they ever get any people that will not let the dog in their house. After all, I am not a dog lover, nor do I want them in my home.
I would think that unless it was ok with the state you live in to use dogs, you certainly would not be obligated to let the dog into your home, in the inspectors quest to find termites. 
Originally Posted By: rwills This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
This is too weird! I just saw a show two nights ago about this. It was that Ron Hazelton show, I think it’s House Calls or something. The dog owner was from N.J. and had a black Labrador Retriever sniffing out hidden mold inside of walls. I checked out his website and believe it or not, it’s called “Lab Results”. Being allergic to dogs, I remember thinking, “I hope he asks his clients if they’re allergic to dogs and not just mold”!
Originally Posted By: rjones1 This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I must admit to being a little skeptical.
If a dog smells mold, he's a hero.
But, according to the USEPA, mold spores are present in pretty much all indoor air environments.
Therefore, if he doesn't smell mold, he's broken.
Or, maybe he only responds when the mold level is at a certain action level, much like radon's 4.0 pCu/l. In which case, what is the action level for mold? And does it matter which type of mold?
I looked at many of the mold-dog web sites. I haven't seen any factual data, just lots of marketing.
I'm all for anything that does what it says it does, if it really needs to be done. Show me the proof.
